Waste stopper device



1952 H. R. SCHLICHTING WASTE STOPPER DEVICE Filed Dec. 18, 1947 INVENTOR. Herbert Rnschlrchfing L A TORNEY.

Patented Oct. 28, 1952 UNITED PATENT OFFICE 2,615,177 gWASTE SIO PPER DEVICE Herbert R. Schlich ting, New Berlin Township, Waukes'ha County, Wis.; Griffin 1. Garnett,Jr.', administrator of 'said Herbert R. Schlichting, deceased, assignor to Helen Schlichting,

'Milwaukce Wis.

.enr i ai qnp ember 18, 9 7 e N -8 C laim s. (Cl. 4295 {Ifhis invention relates generally to a plumbing fixture and more particularly .to a waste stopper device readily adaptahle to standard lavatory .basins, bath tubs, sinks, laundry tubs and the like.

A general object of the invention is ,to provide an i mproved waste stopper device.

A further object of the invention is to provvide an improved waste stopper which is readily adaptable to standard lavatory basins, bath tubs, sinks la'undry tubs and other plumbing fixtures.

A further object is to "provide a .waste stopper deviee .which may he inserted in any standard plumbingwater ordrainoutlet without requiring .a'structural ehange' or adjustment of the water puma;

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved stopper device manually operable It veontrol the flow vIof I liquid from plumbing discharge outlets by manipulatinga simple latching device thereon.

Still anotherobject ofthe inventionis to provide an improve dlstcpper or valve closure deq vice ,whiehlnormally' remains inserted in an operable positioni'nfthe drain outletbut which may ;be readily removed to vvfacilitate cleaning.

A further object of the invention is to provide an imp1'o'ved plumbing drain valve device which preventsforeign objects from entering thedrain outlet regardlesswhether the deviceis in an open r closed position;

et another object is to provide an improved waste I stopper device whichl may be economically manufactured and installed in standard plumbing fixtures without requiring the services ,of a plumber.

According tothis invention, animproved waste stopperdevice is provided which can be readily installed in any standard plumbingfixti re. The

waste stopper device is comprised of a cylindrical casing supporting a flexible sealing ring at its upperend, together with a slider member mounted for axial movement in the easing. A

gui depin and resilient means operatively mounted on the bottom of the slider member and engagingwith a lower casingplate serve to normallyfretain-the slider member in an upper position withini the casing. Ifhe slider member contains .a plurality of retaining balls which are forced into the casing confines when the slider .isheldinza lowerpositiomand which are forced {into a latching position whereat the .balls are seatedin a plurality of apertures in the casing whenthe slider .is' raised. The .latching balls ,thenprotrude throughthe. casing and extend into relative to the discharge outlet and,'consequently,

liquid can'drain via'"a' p1urality of peripheral drain ports in the casingi nto the discharge pipe of the' fixture. However, :when'the casing rn'er'nper is mane 11y forced downwardlyito bring-the into engagement with the top of sealing ring dischar gepipefithe balls are forced out of the vent openings but "remain inpressure engagement with the internal walls'of the pipe and the device serves to stop any liduid flow through the aforementioned drain portsinto the discharge pipe.

Since the ballsiareflin pressure engagement'with the sidewalls of the discharge pipe; the stopper device will remain" in the closed position until released throi ig hthe manipulation ofia'n actuating lgnobconnecte'd to the" slider'and' disposed for accessibility on the top of the valveor stopper device.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention which will becorne more fully apparent from the following detailed""description, may be achieved by the exemplifying waste stopper device depicted in anid' des'cribed in connection with the accompanyin'g'drawing, in" whichf Figure l a vertical sectional view of a;lavatory basin and "mine: a waste stopper device, incorporating the principles of the invention, disposed inanlins'erting position relative-to m ow- 1 ,7 p, .p

' 2 is a vertical sectional view of the waste stopper device operahly mounted in the drain outlet in anormallyopenpositionto permit waste drainage;

Figl' 3 'is a vertical section, taken on the plane ofthe line 3--3 in Fig. l 2, and showing itheiwaste s'topper in vertical section; and

' Fig. 4 is a view in vertical section of the stopper similar to that shown in Fig. 2 but with .the

stopper in a depressed orclosedposition.

Referring to the drawings. and more particular- -ly :to 1 thereof, 'the'bo'ttom of a standard lavatory basin or fixture!) is shown with a dischargepipe 6 mounted thereinin a well known manner; Most of the basins of this type are designed to use a rubber or metal stopper (not shown) retained on a'chain attached to the plumbing fixture. When the discharge pipe is to be blocked off so as to permitthe basin to be filled, the conventional stopper-is manually inint a r e S a Pow r 1 P th i 3 6 and manually removed by means of the chain when the basin is to be drained. When the conventional stopper is disposed to block olf the discharge pipe 6, it does not disrupt flow from an overflow passage or vent 8 into the discharge pipe.

However, when a drain valve or waste stopper 9, incorporating the principles of the invention,

is used in a standard plumbing fixture, certain distinct advantages are gained which will be hereinafter described. As shown in Fig. 1, the waste stopper 9 is basically contained in a cylindrical casing or tube H) which, of necessity, is of slightly smaller diameter than the diameter of the discharge pipe 6 into which it is to be inserted. A cap member H, which may be integrally formed with the tube Ill or threadedly attached thereto, is provided with a flange l2 and an annular groove [3. The flange and groove serve to retain a sealing ring or washer i4 preferably made of a pliable material such as rubber, plastic or the like; the sealing ring can be readily replaced if it wears out.

The member i i is provided with a central vertical bore i5 which is adapted to receive an actuating rod or slider plunger [6 having a knob ll integrally formed at the upper extending end thereof. A slider i8 having a diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the casing i8 is operably mounted therein and is attached to the lower end of the actuating rod It. The slider i8 is guided for free, non-rotary axial movement within the casing It by a squared guide rod l9 integrally formed therewith, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. However, it is to be understood that the slider i8 may conceivably be freely guided by other means, such as extending lugs and grooves (not shown) integrally formed in the slider l3 and casing l6, respectively, or by a pilot lip carried on a support plate 20 attached to the lower end of the casing or tube [0. The guide rod [9 is supported in a bore centrally disposed in the support plate 29, while a spring 2| mounted in abutting relationship between the slider I8 and the plate 26 and retained in position by the rod, as shown in Fig. 1,'serves to normally force the slider upwardly within the casing Iii.

When the waste stopper 9 is to be inserted in the discharge pipe 6 of the lavatory 5, a downward pressure must be imparted to the knob i1,

plunger l6 and slider i8 against the pressure of the spring 2!. Downward movement of the slider l8 permits a pair of balls 22 and 23 to move radially inwardly and thus out of a pair of oval sockets 24 and 25, respectively, in the side- 7 wall of the casing it. The balls 22 and 23 are preferably made of a non-corrosive material such as stainless steel so as to remain readily operable at all times. They are retained in symmetrically formed cavities or retaining cam surfaces 26 in the slider It, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The contour of the cam surfaces 26 is such that when pressure is applied to force the slider l8 downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, the balls 22 and 23 will move inwardly towards an enlarged portion of the cavities 26 in the slider Hi. It is to be understood that the balls 22 and .23 might conceivably be replaced with cam guided plungers operatively disposed to retain the slider in position. The slider l8 and the balls 22 and 23 carried thereon constitute a latching or retaining mechanism.

Thus it is apparent that the drain valve may be manually installed in the top of the discharge pipe 6 without the use of any tools whatsoever and without requiring any preliminary changes in the structure of the plumbing fixture to which it is to be applied. Once the valve or stopper 9 has been partially inserted into the discharge pipe 6, the pressure on the knob ll may be released. This will cause the balls 22 and 23 to be reseated in the sockets 24 and 25 and, as a result, they will protrude beyond the periphery of the casing ill. As the stopper 9 is pushed further downwardly the .balls will snap into the circumferential overflow vents 8 in the discharge pipe 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. When thus positioned, the slider IE? will be resiliently retained in its uppermost position within the cylindrical casing Hi through the action of the spring 2|. The cam surfaces 26 engaging the balls 22 and 23 then retain the balls in full seating engagement within their respective sockets 24 and .35 in the casing Hi. If the discharge pipe 5 does not have overflow vents 8, a slight indentation in the sidewall of the pipe would serve with equal facility to receive the balls and retain the stopper in an open or raised position.

With the valve or stopper 9 in the normally open operative position within the discharge pipe 8 shown in Figs. 2 and 3, any liquid in the lavatory will be readily discharged therefrom down the pipe 6. As the arrows indicate in Fig. 3, the liquid is directed by the tapered surface of the sealing ring it and the top end of the discharge ipe into a plurality of longitudinal drain ports 2'! in the peripheral sidewalls of the casing l0. lhe area of the port openings is sufficient to permit a free flow of liquid into the central portion of the casing and downwardly into the discharge pipe 6. The drain ports 27, however, are of such size and shape to prevent any foreign objects, such as hair, pins, bottle tops, and other items, from entering the discharge pipe and plugging the sewer system to which the plumbing fixture is connected via the pipe 6.

Once the stopper 9 has been inserted into the discharge pipe it will normally remain in an open position. It cannot be withdrawn since the balls 22 and 23 will readily latch into the vents 8 at all times. If it is necessary to clean out the stopper 9, it may be easily removed merely by depressing the knob ll; this will permit the balls 22 and 23 to slide inwardly and allow the stopper to be withdrawn from the pipe 6. The stopper cannot be withdrawn by manually pulling on the stopper body since the balls are locked in the vents 8 by the cam surfaces 26. If a downward force is applied to the exposedv top of the stopper 3 either intentionally in order to close the drain valve or accidentally such as by dropping a foreign object into the lavatory, the cam surfaces will permit the balls 22 and 23 to snap inwardly and allow the outer casing portion of the valve 9 to slide further into the discharge pipe until the sealing ring i l rests on the seat portion I of the discharge pipe 6. The passage into the pipe will then be blocked and liquid in the basin will not drain from the fixture. This condition is clearly shown in Fig. 4. Since the sealing ring H3 is preferably made of a pliable material it will adequately seal off drainage regardless cf variations in the seat portions 7 of the discharge pipe resulting from normal wear or use.

With the drain valve 9 in a closed position, the retaining mechanism is pressurably restrained in a withdrawn position because of the engagement of the balls with the sidewalls of the discharge pipe. However, at this time the pressure bn the balls is increased by the dowriward,movement of the slider it against the spring 2!. When the valve or stopper 9 is to be opened again, a'slight manual pull on the valve will raise the assembly until the balls 22 and 23 are again free to snap into the vent openings 8 and retain the valve in the aforedescribed open position. It should be noted that when the valve is closed, any drainage from the overflow passage and vent 8 is not interrupted since the drain ports 27 are still in alignment with the said vent.

It' will be apparent that the drain valve or stopper 9 could be adapted for use in hotels and othercommercial establishments where it might be desirable to prevent bodily removal of the stopper by anyone but maintenance men, by making slight structural changes therein. This would entail the elimination of the axially movable plunger l6 and the substitution of a knob, similar to the knob ll, fixed to the top of the cap member H. For initial insertion or removal from the discharge pipe, a screw driver could be inserted through one 'of the ports 21 to depress the slider l8 and thus effect a camming action of the balls 22 and 23 as aforedescribed. Once the stopper is installed, it may be operatively opened or closed in the same manner as previously described.

From the description of the structure and operation of the drain valve constituting the subject matter of the invention it will be seen that the drain valve may be easily applied to any standard plumbing fixture without requiring extensive plumbing work or changes in the drain pipe structure. With the use of this valve, foreign objects are more readily prevented from entering the sewage system and thus reduce instances of plugged sewage systems materially. It also servesto eliminate the unsightliness of the conventional stopper and chain which often times are worn out and never replaced.

Although the invention has been shown and described in considerable detail for the purpose of making a full disclosure thereof, it should be understood that the individual features of the invention may be included in other structural forms and variations thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as described in the subjoined claims.

The principles of the invention having been fully explained in connection with the foregoing description of the illustrative embodying apparatus, the invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A waste stopper for a plumbing fixture comprising a casing having a cap member, a sealing ring carried on said cap, a slider mounted for axial movement within said casing, a retaining mechanism operably carried in said slider and disposed for operation through socket openings in said casing, an actuating rod disposed for axial movement in said cap and connected to said slider. a knob attached to said rod, and resilient means mounted in said casing and operative to actuate said slider and said retaining mechanism, whereby said stopper may be selectively operated in a normal application to a plumbing fixture and may be readily removed for cleaning.

2. A waste stopper for controlling liquid flow from a plumbing fixture discharge pipe comprising a casing, a cap attached to said casing, a sealing ring carried on said cap, a slider mounted for axial movement within said casing, a plurality of cam surfaces symmetrically disposed on :said slider, a ball operatively mounted in each of said cam surfaces, a socket disposed in said casing for each of said balls, resilient means opera tive to force said slider in one direction, and an actuating rod manually operative to force said slider in the opposite direction, whereby said slider is normally operative to force said balls in a locking position and is manually operative to force said balls into an unlocking position.

3. In a waste stopper device adaptable toany standard plumbing fixture having a discharge pipe, a casing member having a cap member .on said casing member including a sealing ring attached thereto, a slider mounted for selective movement within said casing member, a retaining mechanism mounted in said slider and operative through said casing member against thedischarge pipe, and resilient means constantly operative to hold said slider and retaining mechanism in a pipe engaging position, whereby said waste stopper is operative in said pipe to permit or prevent drainage from the fixture into the discharge pipe.

4. A plumbing fixture having a basin, a discharge pipe mounted in said basin to permit drainage therefrom, an overflow vent adjacent to the end of said pipe, and a waste stopper comprising a casing slidably mountable in said discharge pipe, a slider axially movable in said casing and having a plurality of cam surfaces thereon, an actuating rod connected to said slider, a knob attached to the projecting end of said rod, a ball operably retained on each cam surface on said slider, a plurality of sockets in said casing for retaining said balls, and resilient means operative on said slider to normally retain said balls in said casing sockets, whereby said balls may selectively latch into said overflow vent and retain said waste stopper in an open or closed positionin said pipe.

5. A waste stopper device for selectively controlling drainage from any standard lavatory having a discharge pipe with overflow vents and comprising a casing disposed to slide within said pipe, a sealing ring fixedly mounted on said casing, an actuating rod mounted for axial movement in said casing, a slider connected to said rod and mounted for movement in said casing, a latching means carried on said slider and operably disposed to latch into said overflow vents when said stopper is mounted in said discharge pipe in an open position, resilient means engaging said slider and operating to maintain said latching means in a latched open position, and a manually operable knob on the projecting end of said rod to disengage said latching means from said vents and permit said stopper to be depressed downwardly to a closed position whereby said sealing ring will engage said discharge pipe and prevent drainage from said lavatory.

6. A waste stopper for lavatory basins and other plumbing fixtures having a discharge pipe connected therewith comprising a casing readily insertable in said discharge pipe, a retaining mechanism, a slider operably mounted in said casing and operatively supporting said retaining mechanism, and resilient means constantly operative on said slider whereby said retaining mechanism is actuated to engage a predetermined portion of said discharge pipe and retain said stopper in a normally open position.

'7. A drain valve adapted for selective insertion into a liquid discharge pipe and comprising a valve casing, a seat portion on said casing adapted to seat on the pipe when said valve is in a closed position, a slider operably disposed in said casing, a retaining mechanism mounted in said slider and operative to engage with the sidewalls of the pipe upon movement of said slider, an actuating knob and rod connected to enable selective manipulation of said slider, and a resilient means mounted in said casing and operative on said slider to hold said retaining mechanism in an engaging position at all times whereby said valve may be selectively retained in an open position or in a closed position Whereat said seat portion engages the pipe to prevent a liquid discharge.

8. In a waste stopper device adaptable to any standard plumbing fixture having a discharge pipe, a casing member, a slider mounted for selective movement within said casing member, a retaining mechanism mounted in said slider and operative through said casing against the discharge pipe to retain stopper device in an open or closed position, resilient means constantly operative to hold said retainingmechanism in pipe engaging position, and a plurality of drain ports in said casing member, whereby said waste stopper serves to permit drainage from the fix- HERBERT R. SCHLICHTING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,163,582 Badger Dec. '7, 1915 1,704,023 Stead Mar. 5, 1929 1,861,442 Hammerstein June '7, 1932 2,161,661 Arens June 6, 1939 2,245,887 Wikander June 17, 1941 2,337,331 Kirschner Dec. 21, 1943 2,355,979 Keyzer Aug. 15, 1944 2,429,435 Vartanian Oct. 21, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,646 Great Britain Nov. 16, 1905 

